On 2/6, following numerous violations, Pham Tuyet Le, 64, head of the permanent department for the Ky Cung Temple relic; Vu Thi Chuyen, 57, a contract employee at the temple; and Kieu Thi Thuy Huong, 58, an accountant for the People's Committee of Dong Kinh Ward and also the temple's accountant, were prosecuted by the Investigation Security Agency of Lang Son Provincial Police. They face charges of abusing positions and powers while performing official duties.

Ky Cung Temple, a renowned religious relic in Lang Son province, is located in Dong Kinh Ward. The temple is famous for its Ky Cung - Ta Phu festival, held at the end of the first lunar month, which this year attracted over 1.5 million visitors.

Lang Son Police searched and seized money and related evidence. *Photo: Police provided*

Police initially determined that the Ky Cung Temple relic management group exploited their assigned duties to embezzle a significant amount of merit money, causing public outrage. Recognizing this as a sensitive issue impacting religious beliefs, Colonel Vu Thanh Tung, Director of Lang Son Provincial Police, directed professional units to investigate thoroughly.

According to the initial investigation, Ms. Le, who was tasked with managing and utilizing the merit money, instructed Ms. Chuyen and Ms. Huong to retain a portion of the funds. This was done in addition to the publicly audited amounts during the monthly merit money counts.

This scheme was carried out by Ms. Le's group from late 2022 until its discovery. Of the billions of VND allegedly embezzled, police believe the defendants shared the money among themselves and spent it on unauthorized expenses.

During the search, police seized over 500 million VND for the investigation.

Police took statements from the three defendants. *Photo: Police provided*

In light of this case, Lang Son Provincial Police urged agencies, units, relic management boards, and religious establishments in the area to strengthen management and strictly adhere to regulations concerning the use of merit money. They also stressed the need for transparency and public disclosure of all donations and other lawful funding sources.